Allegations Of Sexual Abuse Research Articles

Profile of alleged criminal offenses of child abuse at Ibnu Sina Gresik Hospital in 2020-2023.

Introduction: Child abuse is a significant public health issue, and the consequences of child abuse on victims can last a lifetime. Meanwhile, the number of child abuse cases in Indonesia has increased in recent years. This study aimed to comprehend the profile of cases of alleged criminal offenses of child abuse at Ibnu Sina Gresik Hospital from 2020–2023. Methods: This retrospective research used samples of medical records and visum et repertum of child abuse victims who had reported to Ibnu Gresik Hospital from 2020–2023. The sampling technique was total sampling with variables such as age, gender, type of abuse, scope of the perpetrator, and the incident location. The analyzed data were done in Microsoft Excel and presented as a distribution table. Results: The highest number of cases was reported in 2023 (61.67%), with most victims being girls (59.17%). The reported types of child abuse were physical abuse (50.00%) and sexual abuse (50.00%). The majority of girl victims experienced alleged sexual abuse (77.46%), while most boy victims experienced alleged physical abuse (89.80%). The adolescent age group (13-17 years old) dominated the number of victims (64.17%). Perpetrators mostly came from non-family scope (60.83%). Most locations of incidents were unidentified (47.67%). The sub-district with the highest number of cases was Menganti (12.50%). Conclusion: The number of child abuse cases increases every year. The reported types of abuse were sexual and physical abuse. Most victims were girl, adolescent age group, and perpetrators mainly came from non-family scope. Most of the incident locations were unidentified.

A Judge Is the Person Who Decides Who Sings Better: Children’s Comprehension of Legal Terminology

Children in contact with the law are especially vulnerable to misunderstandings due to their lack of knowledge about judicial proceedings and contexts that are complex for their level of development. This study examined whether children understand legal terminology commonly used at Portuguese courts. Three hundred twenty-two Portuguese-speaking schoolchildren aged 6 to 13 years participated in this study and were randomly distributed into two groups. We asked the children to define a list of 18 legal terms (9 for each group), which were previously identified after analyzing 33 children’s statements in cases of alleged sexual abuse. Their answers were categorized into five categories that reflect the mistakes children made when defining legal terms and the different strategies used in this task. As expected in light of the results of previous works, our results show that children do not understand the legal terms used at court: 47.2% do not show comprehension about any of the 9 terms presented. No child has been able to define all of them correctly. Age and school grade show a significant relationship with the level of understanding. No differences were found based on gender and children's contact with justice. Findings have implications about a necessary adaption of courts to children.

Narratives on disclosure of sexual violence: Survivors' responses to public testimony to a high-profile case.

Sexual violence is prevalent and associated with an elevated risk for physical health problems and psychological disorders. The social reactions survivors receive in response to disclosures of sexual violence can impact their postassault recovery. Many survivors do not disclose experiences of sexual violence, which can also complicate the course of recovery. The present study aims to further our understanding of survivors' experiences of sexual violence and their decisions to disclose or not disclose. The data set used is also of historical significance as it captures responses to one of the most public disclosures of sexual assault. Qualitative themes were identified from unsolicited, de-identified personal correspondence (n = 91) from a large archive sent to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford after her public testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee describing an alleged sexual assault. Thematic analyses indicated five common negative reactions (i.e., dismissal, disbelief or denial, lack of repercussions for the perpetrator, retaliation, and victim blame) and two positive reactions (i.e., appropriate action and emotional support) in response to sexual violence disclosures. Reasons for nondisclosure included shame and fear of negative social reactions. Findings suggest that the interpersonal act of sexual violence disclosure is a dynamic process that can have lasting effects on survivors and has implications for fostering a sociocultural climate that facilitates posttraumatic growth in the aftermath of sexual violence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Genital findings in adult females: a forensic analysis of photographic records

BackgroundIn the investigation of sexual assault cases, a standard practice involves examining female genitalia to identify injuries. The majority of research was done to examine findings in the child age group, but very little research was done on the adult age group. There is a need for guidelines to follow for the interpretation of adult female findings as they hold the same significance as in children. The Dammam Forensic Medicine Center conducted a retrospective chart review study in the period from 2014 to 2021 to examine adult female genital findings utilizing photographic documentation.ResultsOne hundred sixty-three cases involving adults between the ages of 18 and 52 were examined. Cases were divided into two groups to focus on hymenal findings that fell in the class of no expert consensus. The first group included self-defined virgins, who denied having ever experienced vaginal penetration in their entire lives, including the reported incidence, which represented 38 cases. The rest of the cases had at least a single incident of vaginal penetration. The normal genitourinary findings were found comparable to those in the child age group. All of the participants who showed notches or clefts, below the 3 o’clock or 9 o’clock location, which extends nearly to the base of the hymen, but is not a complete transection belonged to the group with a history of vaginal penetration. The three participants who showed a notch or a cleft in the hymen rim at 3 o’clock or 9 o’clock which extends nearly to the base of the hymen, but is not a complete transection belonged to the same group.ConclusionsFindings that lack expert consensus in the child age group are likely the result of injury in the study participants. This result gives valuable information on genital findings in self-identified virgin adult females, which can be utilized in conjunction with other studies to establish standards for the assessment of cases of alleged sexual assault in adult females.

“Can you guess what every woman’s worst nightmare is?”: Good for Her Film, and Contextualising Rape-Revolt in post-Weinstein America and Promising Young Woman

The #MeToo moment following Harvey Weinstein's sexual abuse allegations led to a change in the way we make sense of ra;e allegations within popular discourse. In film, changes to the discursive construction of women's rights movements became key to what Barbara Creed calls the Feminist New Wave cinema. The rape-revenge film inserts itself into this new landscape of social and online activism too, as it starts to evolve into a 'rape-revolt' narrative structure, which aims to treat rape within film as a source of political revolt and a way to challenge institutions which uphold rape culture. Promising Young Woman (Emerald Fennell, 2020) interrogates these changes to the public reception of rape culture within a post-Weinstein framework which allows for a nuanced perspective on rape-revenge, taking into account a flawed criminal justice system, corrupt institutions, and enablers' personal failures. This article argues that the Weinstein scandal and its consequence on public discourse have started to influence the ways in which cinema makes sense of rape, and furthermore situates films of the Feminist New Wave within a movement which social media users have called the 'Good for Her' film. 

Judges and lawyers’ beliefs in repression and dissociative amnesia may imperil justice: further guidance required

ABSTRACT This article examines continuing misunderstanding about memory function especially for trauma, across three UK samples (N = 717). Delayed allegations of child sexual and physical abuse are prevalent in Western legal systems and often rely upon uncorroborated memory testimony to prove guilt. U.K. legal professionals and jurors typically assess the reliability of such memory recall via common sense, yet decades of scientific research show common sense beliefs often conflict with science. Recent international surveys show controversial notions of repression and accurate memory recovery remain strongly endorsed. In historical cases, these notions may lead to wrongful convictions. The current study surveyed the U.K. public, lawyers, and mental health professionals’ beliefs about repression, dissociative amnesia and false memories. Study findings give unique data on judges’ and barristers’ beliefs. Overall, the study findings reinforce international scientists’ concerns of a science – knowledge-gap. Repression was strongly endorsed by lay, legal and clinical participants (> 78%) as was dissociative amnesia (> 87%). Moreover, suboptimal professional legal education and juror guidance may increase misunderstanding. Correcting beliefs about memory function, and extending the contribution of memory science in the courtroom remains an important quest for cognitive scientists.

Evolving Legal Issues and Title IX

Background: Each year, several lawsuits are filed that involve peer-to-peer harassment in K–12 schools. It is important for school personnel to understand their legal obligations surrounding this issue. We highlight some recent developments in both case law and federal guidance related to peer harassment. Purpose: Students have alleged that school officials violate Title IX when they fail to appropriately respond to known acts of peer-to-peer sexual harassment at school. After providing some context, we briefly examine a case involving a victim of alleged sexual assault in a K–12 school who was disciplined by school officials for reporting sexual misconduct. We conclude with a discussion on the recent amendments to the Title IX regulations and how these new amendments could impact similar cases in the future. Research Design: Using legal research techniques, we explore illustrative case law in this area and also highlight some considerations from the recently amended Title IX regulations. Recommendations: Under Title IX and its amended regulations, school districts are tasked with creating educational environments that are free from discrimination based on sex. We offer five recommendations for school officials as they relate to this issue. These recommendations highlight recent amendments to the Title IX regulations.

Changes in Online Moral Discourse About Public Figures During #MeToo.

During the #MeToo movement, the perceived morality of public figures changed in light of sexual assault allegations against them. Here, we asked how these changes were influenced by the perceived severity of alleged actions and by how well-known and well-liked were the public figures. Perceived morality was assessed by measuring (im)moral language usage in 1.4 million tweets about 50 male public figures accused of sexual assault. Using natural language processing to analyze the tweets, we found that liking of public figures mitigated perceived immorality for less severe allegations, but had little effect on perceived immorality for more severe allegations. The persistence of negative perceptions 1year later was related to liking and familiarity for the public figure, not allegation severity. These results suggest that in real-world contexts, we can forgive less harmful actions for people we like, but may not be able to if their actions are more harmful; over time, however, liking for others predicts lasting negative impressions of their moral misdeeds.

Medicolegal assessment of reported female sexual assaults in the Kingdom of Bahrain: record-based descriptive study

BackgroundSexual assault is an important social issue that influences women’s lives. Despite a significant increase in 2018, there is no reliable information available in the Kingdom of Bahrain about female sexual assaults. The aim of this study is to investigate the pattern of reported sexual assaults among living female victims in the Kingdom of Bahrain. All medicolegal reports of sexual assaults in living female victims from 2016 to 2020 were included. Reported cases were studied for sociodemographic data of victims, assailant data, assault circumstances, and medicolegal findings and procedures.ResultsThe prevalence of female sexual assault allegations was 7%. During the studied period, there were 272 cases of sexual assault overall. Most cases were in the age group 18–30 years (41.2%). In 58.1% of assaults, the assailant was the boyfriend or partner of the victim. The medicolegal examination took place within 2 days after assault in only 32%. Forensic examination of sexual assault victims revealed extragenital injuries in only 30.9% of cases. Sexual assaults involving mixed penetration occurred in 66.9% of victims, followed by vaginal penetration (30.1%), then anal penetration (2.9%). The final medicolegal opinion confirmed positive assault in 38.6% of allegations and negative assault in 32.4% of allegations, while allegations that have no firm medicolegal conclusion were 29%.ConclusionsDespite the efforts made in Bahrain, there is an underestimated problem of sexual violence against females which needs a robust multilevel strategy including the roles of education, law, and non-governmental institutions.

Child Sexual Abuse in Boys: A Retrospective Investigation

Objective: Although recent studies have increased public awareness of child sexual abuse, certain aspects of the issue remain unclear. While research on sexual abuse in girls is abundant, there is limited focus on boys in our country. This study aims to explore the characteristics of cases involving sexual abuse of boys in the province of Türkiye. Methods: The study is descriptive and retrospective in nature. A total of 245 boys who underwent forensic interviews for alleged sexual abuse between September 2017 and March 2023 at the Child Advocacy Center in the province of Türkiye were retrospectively examined. Results: The study included 245 boys aged 3-18 with a mean age of 11.04±3.39. The most common type of sexual abuse was non-penetrative contact (57.6%). Delayed disclosure was primarily attributed to factors such as threat, fear, and shame. Sexual abuse predominantly occurred in public places (56.5%). There were significant among age groups concerning the identity of the reporters, initial disclosure persons, the existence of abuse, and reporting time. However, no significant differences were found in the presence of multiple suspects, recurrent abuse, and the incident location. Post-abuse behavioral changes in children included fear of the perpetrator (15.5%), emotional changes (15.5%), physiological changes (9.4%), and the displaying of risky behaviors (4.1%). Conclusion: The study emphasized the importance of not overlooking sexual abuse among male children. The findings underscore the need for enhanced awareness and intervention strategies to address sexual abuse in boys within the country.

The Role of Complainant/Defendant Gender and Form of Sexual Assault on Jurors' Perceptions of Prototypicality and Verdicts.

We sought to test the effects of sexual assault form and complainant/defendant gender on jurors' perceptions of the prototypicality of a sexual assault case, complainant, and defendant. We examined whether these perceived prototypicality measures predict mock jurors' complainant/defendant blame and credibility assessments and if these assessments predict verdict decisions in a simulated sexual assault trial. We predicted that the female complainant-male defendant condition, vaginal intercourse condition, and their combination would be perceived as more prototypical than their counterparts, which would predict blame/credibility assessments, ultimately predicting verdict. Mock jurors (N = 437) recruited via Prolific Academic read a trial transcript involving an alleged sexual assault (oral or vaginal sex forced onto the complainant) with a female complainant-male defendant or a male complainant-female defendant. They provided a verdict and assessed the perceived prototypicality of the case/complainant/defendant, provided blame/credibility assessments for the complainant/defendant, and responded to rape myth questionnaires. Sexual assault form did not significantly affect any of our outcomes. Mock jurors perceived the male complainant-female defendant condition as less prototypical of a sexual assault case/complainant/defendant than the female complainant-male defendant condition, resulting in negative evaluations of the complainant, favorable evaluations of the defendant, and lowered probability of conviction. Simultaneously, for fixed levels of prototypicality, the female complainant received more negative evaluations, and the male defendant received more favorable evaluations, which lowered the probability of conviction; mock jurors' rape myth acceptance moderated this effect. Rape myths were predictive of decision-making in cases involving a female complainant, and male rape myths were predictive in cases involving a male complainant. Results demonstrate that prototypicality is a mechanism behind mock jurors' decisions in sexual assault trials and elucidate the distinctive role of prototypes and rape myths on juror decision-making, with practical implications for the field of psychology and the criminal legal system.

Conspiracy Framing and Intratextual Elements: Chryons and Clips in the FOX News Coverage of the Brett Kavanaugh Hearings

Background Coverage of the Brett Kavanaugh hearing was continual, the commentary constant, and the conspiracy theories advanced, by both Kavanaugh and Fox News, were consequential. Methods Using conspiracy as a lens, this article examines the Fox News coverage of the Senate Judiciary Confirmation Hearing of Brett Kavanaugh on September 27, 2018. On that day, Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony detailing an alleged sexual assault was heard, as was Kavanaugh’s statement in defense of himself. Specifically, the article looks at the entire day of coverage including the commentary during breaks in the hearing as well as the Fox News programming run after the completion of the day’s testimony. Results Adopting a conspiracy frame demonstrates how Fox News coverage revolved around a conspiracy by Democrats. Democrats were constructed as an unappeasable, evil force; Blasey Ford was presented as a pawn used by Democrats; and Kavanaugh was positioned as a symbolic representative of white patriarchy -- the persecuted hero fighting for the American people and way of life. Conclusions Unpacking the consequences of this narrative framing reveals the way news elements and intratextual elements of coverage (clips and chyrons) construct an interpretive frame for viewers. In the Kavanaugh case, the conspiratorial interpretive frame allowed for the dismissal of Blasey Ford, justified Kavanaugh’s aggressively defensive tone, and associated his defense with the necessary defense of American justice.

Revisiting the HMAS Swan Scandal and Histories of Sexual Harassment in the Australian Defence Force

In September 1993, the Australian media was abuzz over a Naval Board of Inquiry which investigated allegations of sexual abuse on the HMAS Swan. Following the Board of Inquiry and media coverage, the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel referred the matter to a new, broader Senate Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in the Australian Defence Force. This inquiry received 122 submissions and handed down its final report in August 1994. The HMAS Swan inquiries were neither the first nor the last major reports investigating abuse in the Australian armed forces. Indeed, media reports and new inquiries every few years suggest a cycle of serial epiphanies – to borrow a phrase from Aboriginal researcher Maggie Walter – about cultures of abuse within the ADF. Yet, what set the HMAS Swan scandal apart from earlier ones was: 1. The interest and interventions taken by the political class, and 2. That it centred on sexual abuse and the status of women in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). This article revisits the HMAS Swan inquiries thirty years later, exploring their findings, legacies and shortcomings. It explores why what could have been a turning point in the treatment of women in the ADF instead became just another inquiry.

IJCM_356A: Psychiatric evaluation of alleged sexual assault perpetrators in a tertiary care hospital in Southern Odisha: a cross-sectional study

Background: Sexual violence is defined as a range of behaviours, including nonconsensual sexual acts(e.g., rape), attempted non-consensual sexual acts or abusive sexual contact(e.g., unwanted touching),and noncontact sexual abuse(e.g.,threatened sexual violence or verbal sexual harassment). A psychiatric evaluation should not only be important in clinical but also in medicolegal field, for better understanding of psychological characteristics of an offender and making risk assessment of future offending behaviour. Objectives : 1. To study the socio-demographic profile of alleged sexual assault perpetrator presenting to FMT Department of MKCG, MCH Berhampur. 2. To evaluate their psychiatric co-morbidities and find any significant association. Methodology: A cross-sectional study has been conducted in the Department of FMT, MKCG, MCH, Berhampur, Odisha, within a period of 1 year. Using convenience sampling 169 perpetrators of sexual assault were selected. For data collection semi-structured questionnaire and Mini-5 scale was used. Results : Mean age was 45.3 ± 8.2years,78.9 % were unmarried,26.6 % were illiterate. Around 57.8% were unemployed,78.9 % had past history of substance abuse, antisocial personality disorder was seen in 71.05%. Psychotic disorder was seen in 65.7%, alcohol abuse and dependence was seen in 71.05%,substance dependence was seen in 52.6%. Significant association was seen with anti-social personality disorder, Psychotic disorder, alcohol abuse and substance abuse dependence in the perpetrators of sexual assault. Conclusion: From the present study, it was implicated that, mental health co-morbidities are one of the major contributing factors for the criminal behaviour of the perpetrators for sexual assault. Hence all the cases of sexual assaults have to be properly screened out and councelled by the mental health professionals to prevent criminality in the society.

Utilizing differential extraction thresholds to deduce the existence of spermatozoa in forensic casework samples

Testing of evidence in an alleged sexual assault case not only seeks to address the question of who was involved, but also looks to answer the question of what biological source provided the DNA. It can be difficult to obtain positive serological data on challenging samples such as laundered items, low-level DNA samples, or sexual assault kit swabs obtained after a prolonged interval from the time of assault. In the absence of confirmatory serological results, an expert witness often cannot speak to the biological source of the DNA. In order to determine quantitation thresholds which could be used to deduce the presence of spermatozoa (sperm) within a sample, we evaluated the fractionation of male DNA utilizing our laboratory’s differential extraction method. Study samples included serial dilutions of semen and semen/saliva mixtures, post-coital and laundered samples as well as casework data from 1,729 samples that were processed using a differential extraction. Based on this data, it was determined that a sample which had at least 200 picograms of male DNA and at least 10% of the total male DNA in fraction 2 (F2, also known as the sperm-enriched or sperm fraction) could be reported as positive for the presence of sperm. No false positive results were obtained from the study-generated samples when using these thresholds to infer the presence of sperm. Additionally, samples that contained sperm, but were negative using traditional serological methods, could be detected. However, not all sperm-containing samples fractionated above both thresholds; therefore, serological testing may still be necessary to minimize false negative results. The thresholds developed here, proved reliable to deduce the presence of sperm in real casework samples.

Did court dismiss student‐athlete's Title IX claim?

John Doe was a varsity baseball player at Franklin and Marshall College. In March 2022, Doe was arrested for an alleged sexual assault on a non‐student (Jane Roe) that occurred while Doe was traveling with the baseball team. Shortly thereafter, the college's athletics director suspended Doe from the baseball team. The college scheduled a hearing on the matter in May.

The impact of misinformation presented during jury deliberation on juror memory and decision-making.

When deliberating, jurors may introduce misinformation that may influence other jurors' memory and decision-making. In two studies, we explored the impact of misinformation exposure during jury deliberation. Participants in both studies read a transcript of an alleged sexual assault. In Study 1 (N = 275), participants encountered either consistent pro-prosecution misinformation, consistent pro-defense misinformation, or contradictory misinformation (pro-prosecution and pro-defense). In Study 2 (N = 339), prior to encountering either pro-prosecution or pro-defense misinformation while reading a jury deliberation transcript, participants either received or did not receive a judicial instruction about misinformation exposure during deliberation. Participants in both studies completed legal decision-making variables (e.g., defendant guilt rating) before and after deliberation, and their memory was assessed for misinformation acceptance via recall and source memory tasks. In Study 1, misinformation type did not influence legal decision-making, but pro-prosecution misinformation was more likely to be misattributed as trial evidence than pro-defense or contradictory misinformation. In Study 2, pro-defense misinformation was more likely to be misattributed to the trial than pro-prosecution misinformation, and rape myths moderated this. Furthermore, exposure to pro-defense misinformation skewed legal decision-making towards the defense's case. However, the judicial instruction about misinformation exposure did not influence memory or decision-making. Together, these findings suggest that misinformation in jury deliberations may distort memory for trial evidence and bias decision-making, highlighting the need to develop effective safeguards for reducing the impact of misinformation in trial contexts.

Lay Associations of Christ's Faithful and the Church's Response to Allegations of Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACT: For more than two decades, since the promulgation of the motu proprio Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela in 2001, several official documents were published by the Holy See and different conferences of bishops (e.g., the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops) concerning sexual abuse of minors or persons having the imperfect use of reason. Only clerics were addressed under that law. Since the publication of the revised Book VI on penal law, members of religious institutes of men and women together with any member of the faithful performing a function in the Church are included among alleged perpetrators of sexual abuse of minors. After reviewing all the official documents, the author notes that members of lay associations of Christ's faithful are not mentioned anywhere as alleged perpetrators of sexual abuse of minors. Even the members of public associations of Christ's faithful whose mission is fulfilled in the name of the Church in virtue of their status of public juridical persons are not included. Some suggestions are offered to diocesan bishops for how to take into account the members of lay associations of Christ's faithful in their diocesan protocols.

Longitudinal predictors of children's self-blame appraisals among military families reported for family violence

BackgroundAlthough children's self-blame appraisals are recognized as important sequelae of child victimization that contribute to subsequent adjustment problems, little is known about the factors that predict their development and longitudinal course. ObjectiveThe current study examines the stability and longitudinal predictors of children's self-blame appraisals among a sample of children reported for family violence. Participants and settingChildren (N = 195; 63 % female) aged 7 to 17 years (Mage = 12.17) were recruited as part of a longitudinal assessment of families referred to the United States Navy's Family Advocacy Program due to allegations of child physical abuse, sexual abuse, or intimate partner violence. MethodsChildren completed assessments on self-blame at 3 time points (baseline, 9–12 months, and 18–24 months) and baseline measures of their victimization experience, caregiver-child conflict, and depression. ResultsIn univariate analyses, victimization that involved injury (r = 0.29, p < .001), the number of perpetrators (r = 0.23, p = .001), the number of victimization types (r = 0.32, p < .001), caregiver-child conflict (r = 0.36, p < .001), and depression (r = 0.39, p < .001) were each positively associated with baseline self-blame. When examined in a single longitudinal multilevel model, results indicated only caregiver-child conflict (b = 0.08, p = .007) and baseline depression (b = 0.06, p = .013) predicted increases in self-blame. ConclusionFindings suggest clinicians and researchers may consider assessment of victimization characteristics, caregiver-child relationships, and depression symptoms to identify children most at risk for developing self-blame appraisals.

Purge the Evil From Your Midst: Material Cancel Culture Among Religiously Observant Jews

This article explores cancel culture as a material endeavor on the ground. We draw on ethnographic tools to call attention to formative material dimensions of canceling and employ the conceptual lens of material culture to analyze rationales and practices around the canceling of objects. The case study concerns how ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel manage allegations of sexual abuse against a beloved author by engaging in a myriad of material-canceling actions around his books. We cluster and investigate these actions under three categories: Time-Out, Taking Out, and Casting Out. We offer the term Material Cancel Culture as a productive intervention in a literature that generally focuses on the discursive and digital components of cancel culture. The multiplicity of possible material (dis)engagements allows us to move beyond a somewhat dichotomous outline of cancel versus not-cancel, and to consider how the material immediacy and properties of objects open up new scripts of action in response to public sentiments of rage and critique.